Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-02-26
Mr.. SMITHS WILL.

u. Au .ustus Nav was such q smart
''nng gentleman that his friends expect d
'eat things OF him. There are some per-
'ons who possess The knack Of inspiring con-
Hence without doing anything TO warrant
t Augustus mad failed to distinguish him.
eH during his scholastic career. yet those
Who knew him beloved in him almost -
nn ii a. he believed in himself. he wa Q
'~isk. busting little youth, with . high fall
etto voice and . consequential manner. He
lad worn an eye glass and high shirt collars
rom an early age, aud at II he would have
reued theology with an archbis ,op or dis.
:used politics with q prim minister. When
the time arrived for choosing . profession
Aucus US unhesitat.nglv decided in favor Of
;he bar: he had no production for the
aw, but the career Of q barrister had the
'reat attraction Of lea ing to The woolsack.
Augustus aimed hign. but hi ambition was
rot out Of proportion to his opinion Of he
,bilitiea He was al.ured by the prospect Of
becoming lord chancellor and keeper of the
1ueen's conscience.
Au"us NJ had inherited from his parents Q
small fortune, which he would be entitled
:. receive upon attaining Is There was no
difficulty. therefore. about raising tho pre-
mum which was Necessary to enabl hi IL to
lave the run of the chambers OF some sue
>essful counsel. Accordingly the aspiring
youth was CO.. q led to the care Of Mr.. Re-
liner, the celebra,ed equity draughtsman
and conveyancer, whose pupils, though de-
pressing in a social sense, always learned to
draw particularly neat ~pleadings and to
turn out legal instruments calculated to
myst.fy the most intelligent layman.
After . brief experience Augustus began
to have . dim idea that the gosl Of his am
5ition was rather more difficult to reach
han be had anticipated. He realized that
3loddinE, hard work, perseverance and
seasshss study were esss initial ingredients to
the success Of his scheme. Nov, Augustu.
vas one o. those snterprising youths-there
Arc many Of them about-who are In too
great . hurry to mako . ( ,rtune to be able
TO give time to honest d~rudgery. He did
not exactly abanton the hope OF reaching
.he wooisaek. but he resolved not to fritter
away hts abilities in irving too much for
t He would keep 1t In view as something
worth contending for. out he felt that,
meanwhile. it would b as we'll not to lose any
opportunity for advancement Ia other d.
:ections
Augustus had teen very much struck BY
he tact that. in the cour>e of business, the
private Affairs OF . good many people Of
wealth and distinction were revealeu to him.
BE was naturally Of ar inquistive dispose
ion. and he reve ed In tue surrrptitious
knowledge he acquired in this manner Mr..
4 'lainer had a largo conn 'ction among
% tcItors OF old standing. with rich and
Ariel orrA IL ol{AuA~ s~l >oao.l,- -.,
om. his pupils were permitted to try their
pr nt'ee hand in prep ring the rough
RATS OF wills. MARRIAGE settl ,ments and
aeds Of various kinds 1t was q lite tanta-
IL ng to Au us, us to be behin | tho scenes,
IS it were. aud to observe tue secret DISPOSE
lion Of 40 many thousan . Of pounds, with
mt profiting thereby. He did not see his
way. however, to turn MS ex oeriences to
,cc unit. but the idea took posses lion of him
nat in ths direction he might on. day
make q discovery which he could utilize to
lis advantage.
1t he law long before the wished. for op',or-
Mnitv arrived. But at length hi. dropping
'pirits were revived by what seemed TO be
. genuine prospect Of acquiring a fortune.
} Q dav there was han led into the pupils
'oom a paper Of written instructions for tho
will Of q Nj. John Smith, of H.I.drop
Crescent. Cam Zen Town. who was lep e.
'entei by a well known firm OF solici ors.
". Smith appeared to le a gentleman of
considerable wea.,h, for he owned whole
:erraces of hou>e' in London. broad &C, es in
he county. and stock exchange Investments
.alor.. Anguish stten ion was attracted
" two Il cu,nstances. one Of which was
that tn. Mr.. J,hn Smith was . neighbor Of
lis uncle's. wl.h whom he resided, and the
ther that the teStator ha | an 0 ,lydaught r.
o whom be had seQleathed nearly the
vnole of his wealth. From the fact that
il" J.'hn S NTH resi- led III the unassuming
ca..ty of Camd n Town. it seemed prob ,bls
mt he was q person Of q liet tastes and
habits, TO whom it would be easy to obtain
III introduction. Tni, done, thought Angus
IL. no'hing would be simpler tnan to in
ratiate himself with the d gen,lem IN, to
vim the affectlons Of his daughter, and to
gin both ner hand and her fortune.
To tell the truth. this was not the first
Zine that Augustus had cherished designs Of
marrying heir, sses whose proSpec 8 he had
learnel in a slmll ar tanner. Unfortunately,
IN previous cases the ladies had been OF
EXALTED rank and station, which rendered
;hem unapproacnable. Disparity of station
Dad not prevented him, however, from
making : iscreet advances Like all moi led
faced, snub-nosed little men. Augustus con-
dered hlmse.f above everything a lady
xiller. When ne discovered that the Lady
Angelina Fi,z ,owderpu6 was the residuary
;e3atee under the will OF her decrepit cd
uncle. Lord Towzlepate, he had taken i'm
mense pains to have her ladyship pointed
out to b m, and had ogled her in The park
for a Who'll. season. Various instances OF
this kin might b recorded Of his enter.
prising nature, but it would be depre,sin
TO chronicle q series Of dismal failures.
Augustus had borne his ill-luck with equan.
unity, convinced tnat it was lack Of oppor.
tunities alone which had prevented him
from making conque,ta
In the case Of Mis- Smith, however. nc
obstacles Of an i~nsurmountabls kind
seemsd to exist Augustus. with his native
sanguineness, therefore regarded her fortune
- practically within his grasp. That very
~svening, in tact, on his return TO bis uncle's
house IN Camden Tow, he co:nm,ncel u
make discreet inqui les about the Smith
family. Not a word dill b. breathe Of Mr..
SIN tA's fortune. and ne was the more
cautious because It seem d that tho extent
OF i. was not generally known. But ne
learned ,uf6 lent to feel convinced that the
old gentleman was . wealthy miser. He
was described Is . tac.turn and rather
eccentric person., who bad resldel many
Yeas in Hlllrop Crescent with his daugh.
tor and a maiden sister. He VA supposed
to be comfortably of, for he paid hi. way
and lived .. his ease. bus he Vas certainly
not suspected OF beng q millionaire.
Augu,tu* wisely de.ermlnel to look we'll
before be leapel In this IN ,tance. and he
therefore seL to work to Ascertain whe h-l
NJ. Retainer knew anything about Mr..
Smith and his af1airA Accordingly. be
L. o.;a,.ix ..ans..d thu d..R NJ